Guangdong aid transforms Xinjiang's plum industry

Payzawat county in Kashgar prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has become China's largest plum producer, thanks in part to targeted assistance from Guangdong province.

The county boasts 38,000 hectares of plum orchards, with an expected output of 410,000 metric tons this year, according to Wu Congying, head of Guangdong's aid work team.

Preserving fresh plums was once a major challenge for local farmers. In recent years, Guangdong's aid programs have helped transform the industry by integrating research, education, and production, leading to the establishment of a modern plum industrial park.

To support growth, eight research teams in the park focus on key challenges, such as product development and pest control. A county-wide cold-chain logistics system has been established to improve storage and distribution.

"The abundant sunlight, along with trace elements like calcium, potassium, and selenium in land and water, creates an ideal environment for plum cultivation," said Dang Yu, the Party secretary of the park's development service center. "The plums are rich in anthocyanins and vitamins, offering antioxidant and digestive benefits, making them highly popular among consumers."

At the industrial park's cold storage facilities, farmers sort, pack, and pre-cool freshly picked plums before they are shipped nationwide in refrigerated trucks. The county has attracted 25 enterprises to produce 22 types of plum-based products, including juice, dried fruit, wine, and jam.

Guo Haijun, head of the Kashgar Pagoda Anda Smart Agriculture, said the plum harvest season lasts nearly two months, during which over 300 farmers work daily at the company, earning more than 200 yuan per day. Last year, the company purchased 3,000 tons of plums from local growers.

 Currently, 70 percent of Payzawat's plums are sold fresh, while the remaining are processed into juices, jams, and other goods. The county aims to further expand its plum industry into a national-level modern agricultural cluster, which is expected to create 100,000 jobs.